WNC Gardening Symposium
October 12, 2022
Blue Ridge Community College
Flat Rock, North Carolina
This event is sold out! Waiting list is not available.
After a two-year hiatus, we are pleased to announce the upcoming 2022 WNC Gardening Symposium! The Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers of Buncombe, Henderson, Jackson, Madison and Polk counties are excited to bring you an inspiring program! Our WNC Gardening Symposium will be held on October 12, at the beginning of leaf season in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
About the Program
Our program will include the following interesting and delightful speakers:
- Toni Gattoni, our keynote speaker, an adaptive gardening expert, a blogger, and author of The Lifelong Gardener: Garden With Ease and Joy At Any Age. You can follow Toni on Facebook and Instagram. Visit https://tonigattone.com for inspiration, tools and resources for the resilient gardener. Her talks will be You Can Garden for Life and Create a Fire-Smart Landscape;
- Preston Montague is an artist, educator, and landscape designer who developed a passion for the natural world while growing up in the rural foothills of Virginia. He will be talking about landscape design. Preston has generously donated a beautifully framed and autographed botanical print that will be raffled off at the symposium;
- Brenda Rosbrook and Kay Campbell, The Shady Ladies of Raymond’s Garden Center, will present transitioning from Fall into Winter/Holiday container gardening by changing out different decorative items. Ideas include using obelisks, trellises, pumpkins and holiday themed items; and,
- Sue Goetz, designer, speaker, author and owner of The Creative Gardener, is based in Tacoma, Washington. Sue is a certified professional horticulturist, the author of three books, The Herb Lover’s Spa Book, A Taste of Herbs, Complete Container Herb Gardening and an award-winning designer. You can follow Sue on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Visit herbloversgarden.com for recipes and inspiration. Her motto “inspiring gardeners to create” will define her talk on A Taste of Herbs.
Make sure to arrive for the event promptly at 8 a.m. for check-in and continental breakfast. Leave time to shop our vendors’ booths for garden-related products while supplies last! Toni Gattone and Sue Goetz will have books available for sale and signing by the author. The program will begin at 8:45 a.m. and end around 4:15 p.m. Attendance for the full day is valid for 5 hours of continuing education for Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers.
Venue
We are pleased to announce the event will once again be held at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, just off I-26 exit 53, Upward Road. Signs will be posted to direct you to the Technology Building. The facility offers a roomy conference center with excellent graphic displays and sound system, plus a central area where the vendors will be situated so you can easily see everything they have to offer.
Fees and Registration
The symposium fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. As always, there will be wonderful door prizes, great vendors, delicious food, and plenty of free parking. In addition, a beautifully framed and autographed botanical print, donated by Preston Montague will be raffled off.
We will continue to utilize online registration, so you will receive instant confirmation of your reservation. The symposium fee is $60 if you register by midnight on August 31 and $65 after that date. All registrations must be received by September 5, 2022. This event usually sells out before the August 31 early-bird deadline, so please register early. To register, click the button below and follow the instructions for completing your online registration.
Sorry, but refunds cannot be offered for this event.
Overnight Accommodations
For those who will be staying overnight, reservations should be made early due to fall leaf season here in the mountains. A small block of rooms with two queens or a king has been reserved at a rate of $107.28, including tax, at the Fairfield Inn and Suites – Hendersonville/Flat Rock 836 Upward Road, 828 513-5100. In addition, lodging at the same exit includes the Mountain Inn and Suites, a Holiday Inn Express, and Quality Inn. Information about area restaurants and things to do can be found at VisitHendersonvilleNC.org.
Questions about this event should be emailed to WNCGdnSymposium@gmail.com.